Reports 10 percent jump in attendance

BALTIMORE  The challenge is to get students to attend school. The bigger challenge is to find ways to do this. Comcast and The Baltimore City School District have figured out a way to do just that by taking part in the Get Schooled 2014 National Attendance Challenge. This year Baltimore’s Maritime Industries Academy won the National Attendance Challenge by increasing their attendance by 10 percent. As winners they got a surprise visit from Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist ScHoolboyQ who was principal for a day. This is the third straight year a Baltimore City School won the top prize.

Indie Soul was there to witness ScHoolboy Q energize the crowd. ScHoolboy Q encouraged the students to be the best they can be, stressed the importance of attending school, and the importance of hard work and following your dreams. For more information on the “Get Schooled Challenge,” visit: www.getschooled.com.

Now while ScHoolboy Q. was the star of the event along with the students and teachers, the MVP is Comcast. With its Internet Essentials program, Comcast offers low-cost Internet service, computer equipment and free digital literacy training to families with at least one child eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program. According to Donna Rattley Washington, vice president of Government and Community Affairs for Comcast’s beltway region, “This is very important for the community to know we want everyone to be have access to the internet. This is a serious issue. Families and especially the students need access for educational purposes, to stay informed, and to be able to compete on the same level as those who can afford the Internet. We also offer low cost computers for those who need and don’t have a computer. We are invested in the community. This about the future of families and students.”